Understanding Building Air Tightness | Part 1

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Episode 01
More emphasis on build quality is coming to Australia because it impacts building performance. It’s not so much WHAT you build with, but how WELL you put it all together. Take building sealing for airtightness. Why pay to heat or cool your home and then just let the air leak out? There's a lot of problems with that:
● if it leaks air it might leak water.
● if it leaks air it might leak bugs.
● if it leaks air it impacts energy efficiency
There's no good argument for air leakage through the building envelope - the floors, walls and ceilings. Random leakage is NOT the same as ventilation. Once you seal a building up well you can add some effective ventilation and it will finally work right.
This video covers the basics of airtightness! Build Tight and Ventilate Right!
There are heaps of other resources available online, so check out see the links below:
#buildingairtightness #buildingperformance #energyeffciency

ATTMA Air Tightness Testers around Australia:

More information and videos about air sealing and ventilation at the AIVAA website:

Minimising Condensation in Buildings videos from the ABCB:

Master Builders Victoria Maintaining the Thermal Building Envelope videos:

Your Home: Australia's Guide to Environmentally Sustainable Homes:

The National Energy Efficient Buildings Project's Cross-Industry Skills Training Project:

[KJSvitko]

Blower door testing during construction is under appreciated.
Test before installing dry wall and again after.
Saving energy saves money on utilities.

[blobfishking]

Since watching this channel I now realize my 1986 built brick veneer house is a glorified tent. I have found endless air gaps throughout the house. The worst is those stupid Dow lights. Thanks I’m learning a lot

[peterchavko]

Great video! Finally somebody promoting energy efficient houses in Australia. Not very popular among wide public, but hopefully soon people will understand it is worth to put some money into the insulation and the building envelope. The workmanship costs almost the same, so don't be stingy and add some money into quality materials. Gonna check your other videos :)

[UndercoverArchitect]

Thanks for the great points about airtightness! All so helpful!

[hugoroberts]

Thanks for sharing this info, John! I live in Victoria and I reckon a lot of Aussie houses don't incorporate the importance of a 'building envelope' that you speak of and can easily leak air. Good to see Efficiency Matrix have some quality products to help address this problem.

[rossmcleod]

Quality content! It was you guys that opened my eyes to the importance of the building envelope and leading me on to the whole passive house thingy. Yet to start building, but at least I’ve been well informed. Many thanks again.

[brisbanetoyambatours]

Well done guys. I keep watching your videos. My dream home will be passivehaus or retrofit. Thank you for all information provided here extremely useful.

[janbrandjes]

Excellent information👌will watch part 2 and 3 later. Thanks for producing these videos

[louisvl]

my grandfather always used to say good natural ventilation is important for health in a home but he also wasnt paying as much as we are now for heating :s

[Len]

Great work. Reckon more Ausies need to know about this. & a blower door test been done in new builds

[SCARECROW]

Amazing video, thanks guys! Could you tell me what infrared camera is attached to the phone at 4:36 please?

[suchapaula]

Can you say something about ventilation please? Take under consideration different types of weather

[suchapaula]

I live in Ireland and have exhaust heat pump. New apartment. They put big vents in every room ( which are basically holes in walls ) and it’s blowing a hurricane through them even if they are closed. I don’t get that. I’m loosing so much heat

[anthony]

Interesting.
I live in a hot country (Thailand north east). Temperature drops to twenty degrees for 2-3 weeks of the year, otherwise it’s always over 30 and in the 40s. We don’t use aircon much and open windows for air circulation. Would l assume in my scenario that airtightness would only be applicable if running aircon continuously?
I can understand its a must for Australia.
Cheers

[duke]

Are his elbows attached to his torso?... asking for a friend.

[fabiokruger]

Great video, but what's with the awful background music? I had to stop the vide halfway as I could not focus on what's being said due to the music.

[Brandon-novc]

When you air seal attic don't you have 2 vent the living space somehow from gasses and stale air and such?

[anonanon]

As if the state governments and councils will enact air tightness in Australia when they're being constantly bribed by builders to let them get away with building the shoddiest cheapest crap they can.

[tinnedanger]

Sadly with the quality of so called " builders" around today . This is an unachievable goal. It's up to the owner to either fix the problem their self or pester and insist the builder fix it. The latter will obviously cost more.

[dastanharris]

a lot of talking yet not much information provided